


Found Family

by DragonSaphiraReads



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Mcyt Dream SMP
Genre: Fanfic of Fanfic, Found Family, Gen, No beta reader, just assume the original story's tags apply here, too lazy to add tags tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:41:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27704987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonSaphiraReads/pseuds/DragonSaphiraReads
Summary: Eret and Niki have spent seven years waiting for this moment. They didn't expect it to go the way it did, but they didn't mind.(Inspired by "This Wasn't Planned,  But It'll Work Out" by Anonymous! Eret and Niki's POV of Chapter 19!
Comments: 7
Kudos: 141





	Found Family

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [This Wasn't Planned, But It'll Work Out](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27284074) by Anonymous. 



They were both up before dawn, despite spending practically all night settling into their new house. Eret found Niki sitting in the middle of the floor with a mug in her hands, legs crossed. Part of them wanted to scold her, to force her to go back to her room and sleep, but they decided against it. 

They knew why she couldn’t sleep, after all. It was the same reason they were pouring themself a cup of coffee and sitting down next to her. 

“Morning.” Eret said, nudging their sister with their elbow. Niki hummed, sipping her coffee. “Did you get any sleep at all?”

“A little.” Niki responded, running her thumb along the edge of the mug. “But then the nightmares woke me up, and then I remembered where we were and I got too excited to sleep.”

Eret nodded in understanding. “Same.”

“Do you think he’s there?” 

She didn’t turn to look at them, staring at her reflection in the coffee instead. “I know we decided that it would be safe for him there, but... I just keep wondering if he ended up somewhere else instead.”

“I... don’t know. I hope he is, but even if he’s not, we’ll ask out where he actually is and we’ll find him.”

“Right.” Niki drained her mug, putting it aside. She fell silent, and Eret knew that pensive look in her eyes. 

“Alright, what’s going through your mind?” They asked, shifting across the floor to sit knee-to-knee with her. 

“What do you think he’s like now?” She wondered, picking at her nails. “He was so tiny when we left him... and he barely spoke...”

“I’m sure he’s grown, Niki. I’m sure he’s a nice, happy, healthy twelve year old who gets into trouble like any kid does.” Eret smiled, trying to bring Niki out of her worries. They knew this wasn’t what she was truly worrying about, though. 

“I hope so. I hope the man we left him with was nice to him. I know you had a good feeling about it, but it all happened so fast and we didn’t even see his face and what if...”

Niki swallowed hard, rubbing her eyes harshly as Eret put a hand on her knee. “Niki, Tubbo is fine.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do, I promise. I know he’s alive and well, and I’m positive that he’s had a happy life in that house. I don’t know how I know, but I know.”

Niki crossed her arms, hugging herself. Eret bit their lip, leaning forward and meeting her eyes. “Niki, what are you really worried about?”

“What if... Tubbo doesn’t remember us?”

They paused, and Niki continued. “It’s been seven years, and he was so young when we left him... not to mention he was stunted from... everything that we went though... what if he doesn’t remember? What if we’re just strangers to him?”

Then she gasped, desperately trying to hold back tears. “Or even worse... what if he hates us for leaving him behind?”

Eret put their mug down, gathering their smaller sister in their arms and holding her as she started to sob. They didn’t speak, not at first, just letting Niki let out the tears that had been building for years. 

The sobs tapered to whimpers, and soon to sniffles and shaky breaths. Eret waited for Niki to pull away first, and when she did they bumped their forehead against hers. 

“We won’t know anything for sure until we knock on the door, but I don’t think Tubbo will hate us. I don’t think I would, if I were in his situation. He went through so much when he was so little, and if he remembers any of it, he’ll understand that we had to get him out.”

Eret sighed, wiping a tear from Niki’s cheek with their thumb. “But if he has forgotten us... then I think I’ll count that as a blessing.”

Niki looked confused, and Eret smiled sadly. “If he forgot about us, then he probably forgot about everything else too. If that’s the price to pay for him to live a life without knowing that pain... then we should be thankful.”

She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve. “I... I guess you’re right...”

“I don’t want him to have forgotten about us either, I know. But there’s no use worrying about it right now, because we don’t actually know anything.”

Niki nodded, and Eret sighed. “I know you don’t want to go back to bed, so... want to go to the roof with me? Watch the sun rise?”

There was a small nod, and the siblings got to their feet in sync, hands clasped together. As they wandered down the hallway of their small house, Niki brushed her fingers across the door of the guest room. 

Tubbo’s room, if he wanted it. 

Eret tugged her away, and they climbed up the ladder to sit on the slanted rooftop, laying against the cold tiles as the sun slowly rose over the horizon, painting the sky a beautiful orange. 

Niki rested her head on Eret’s shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling their hand wrap around her shoulders. She didn’t fall asleep, not quite, but that was alright. She let the warmth of the rising sun lull her to calm, and she felt Eret relax as well. 

It would be alright. After all, they were family, and no matter what kind of person Tubbo had become, that would never change. 

~

They had wanted to wait until mid-morning, since they didn’t want to accidentally wake up the owner and anger him. However, both Eret and Niki were awake and itching to go as soon as the sun rose fully above the horizon, and despite waiting as long as they physically could, it wasn’t even 8am by the time they left the house. It was so early that there were still a few mobs burning in the sunlight, the smell of rotting flesh making their noses crinkle. 

They walked hand in hand, ears pricked. Even though they knew they were safe, that they were far, far away from what they feared, old habits die hard. 

Somehow, the walk lasted an eternity and less than a moment at the same time, and soon enough they were standing on the cobblestone stairs where they had left their little brother so many years ago. Eret squeezed Niki’s hand, turning to look at her. 

“Do you want me to do the talking, or do you want to?”

Niki licked her lips, ear flicking as she heard someone moving around inside the house. Heavy footsteps, and she knew it wasn’t him but her heart rate picked up anyways. 

“You can start.” 

Eret nodded, drawing in a deep breath through their nose. Then they raised their fist to the door, and knocked three times. 

~

Dream yawned, padding to the kitchen to refill his coffee. He was up earlier than usual, which he didn’t care for, but he hadn’t been able to fall back asleep at all. His bed was just a tad too warm, his pillow too lumpy, and he couldn’t get comfortable. 

He lifted his mask slightly to take a sip, then he set it down to dig through the cabinets for breakfast. Dream didn’t feel like digging out a pan for eggs, so he settled for cereal instead. 

As he grabbed the box and reached for a bowl, he heard a knock at the door. He wondered which of his neighbors it was, and hoped it wasn’t anything serious. It was probably Tommy, he reasoned. It wouldn’t be the first time the little devil woke up earlier than everyone else and decided he wanted to play. 

Dream left the bowl of dry cereal on the counter and moved for the door. He hoped it was just Tommy being unaware of other people’s sleeping schedules. Things had been peaceful lately, and he hoped they would stay that way. 

He opened the door, ready to meet Tommy’s smart mouth with his own witty retort. 

The words died when he saw the two young adults standing on his porch. 

“Hello, um... I know this might be unexpected, and you don’t know who we are, but we’re here because... we...”

The taller one stuttered, eyes flickering across Dream’s face, and he realized that the mask was probably making them nervous. 

“I know who you are.” The two strangers cringed at his flat tone, shrinking away from him. Dream berated himself silently, blaming the early hour for his lack of tact. But it wasn’t hard to figure out who they were, or at least why they were on his doorstep. After all, he knew those fluffy ears and horns very, very well. “I just have one question for you two.”

The girl flinched, hiding behind her taller companion. They stood taller, back straight and shoulders wide, as if to protect her. 

“Which of you wrote the note?”

They both blinked, and exchanged a glance between each other. The taller one turned back, nodding slowly. “That... that was me. Does... Does that mean you...?”

There were footsteps behind Dream, as Sapnap came down the stairs rubbing at his eyes. “Who’s at the door, Dream? Is everything ok?”

Dream opened his mouth to respond, but it didn’t matter. Sapnap caught sight of the two unexpected guests, and his jaw dropped. “Are they--”

“Sapnap, can you go and wake George and Bad for me?” Dream asked calmly, not wanting to reveal anything too soon. Dream had a good feeling about them, but he also knew that he needed to be careful. He wanted to make sure he could trust them, that they wouldn’t hurt his son. 

Sapnap paused, confused. “Wait, why? Don’t you want me to wake--”

“Sapnap.” Dream warned, and the Blaze hybrid narrowed his eyes. “Please, go wake George and Bad and meet me outside.”

He didn’t wait to see if his friend did so, instead turning back to the young adults and gesturing towards the field behind them. “Let’s talk outside, shall we? It’s a beautiful day outside. 

“Please sir, we just want to know if--”

Dream cut the girl off, stepping out and closing the door behind him. He let a small smile crack through, and hoped they could hear it in his voice. “I know. Please, follow me.”

Dream brushed past them, stretching in the warmth of the sun. He hummed, sticking his hands in his pockets and wandering through the grass. There were footsteps behind him, so he knew they were following. Once he decided they were far enough from the house that even hybrid ears couldn’t hear them, Dream turned around and faced the two goat hybrids. 

“There’s one important thing I need to know before I answer your questions. Is there any chance of the person you’re running from following you two here?”

They flinched, the girl’s hand coming to rest over her stomach in the way that one cradles an old injury. The taller one’s throat bobbed, shaking their head harshly. 

“No. We did everything we could to make sure we wouldn’t be followed. And, even if he somehow did show his face...”

Their hands balled into fists, and Dream understood without needing any more explanation. “Good.”

“So... he’s here?” The girl asked, and Dream finally relented, nodding. 

“Yes, Tubbo is here. Your little brother is safe.”

They both let out a sigh of relief, and Dream’s heart ached. After everything they had been thrown - and by the looks of them, they had been through a lot - all they cared about was their little brother. 

After all these years, they kept their promise. 

“However, I’m not going to tell him just yet.” He didn’t let their visible disappointment dissuade him. “First of all, it’s far too early to wake him up. But, more seriously, I want him to decide for himself if he wants to see you. I don’t know the details, but I know that he doesn’t like to remember what he went through before he landed on my doorstep.” 

The young adults looked sheepish at that, and Dream raised a hand before either spoke. 

“I’m not trying to judge. I believe that you did what you thought was best, given your circumstances. Even so, he still has nightmares about it, and I don’t want to bring back any harsh memories for him.”

Dream swallowed, considering his next words. “He’s my family, and I will protect him with my life if I have to.”

“We understand.” The taller one nodded, though they sounded pained. “It’s enough to know that he’s safe.”

The girl nodded, and Dream saw his friends filing out of the house and jogging towards him. Sapnap was fastest, sprinting towards them and making the goat hybrids scatter to avoid him. “Dream, you’re going to explain what’s going on! These are Tubbo’s siblings, right? Why wouldn’t you let me wake him up? He’s going to freak out!”

Dream rolled his eyes behind his mask. “That’s exactly why. I wanted to get some facts straight before rushing into things. For example...”

The masked man turned away from his friend and back to the others. “I haven’t actually gotten your names yet.”

That brought a laugh out of everyone, and they introduced themselves. The taller one as Eret, and the shorter as Niki. Tubbo’s biological siblings, eight years older than him. They explained their story, in enough detail to be understood, but leaving the more painful parts to be inferred. Dream introduced himself and his friends in return, sharing a brief recap of the last seven years with his son. 

With every word the two young adults share with them, Dream understands how much they care for Tubbo, and how hurt they were when they had to leave him behind. He doesn’t know what they’ve gone through in the time since then, but he does know that they deserve better. 

“Bad, can you go and see if Tubbo’s awake?” Dream pulled his friend aside and whispered as Sapnap kept the goat hybrids occupied with a dramatic retelling of one of their Manhunts. Bad’s eyes shifted between Dream and the others, uncertain. 

“Are you sure?” Bad whispered back, and Dream nodded. 

“I need you to ask him if he wants to see his siblings. He doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to - I don’t want to force him.”

Bad licked his lips, nodding slowly. Then he disappeared in a cloud of purple sparks, and Dream turned back to the group. 

~

Eret was content. Not happy, exactly, but content. Tubbo was safe, and surrounded by this cast of characters who clearly cared for each other, he had to be happy. Even if they couldn’t see him, even if they would spend their life without seeing his sweet face again. 

They weren’t really listening to the story that was being told by the excitable man in front of them - Sapnap, they remembered - but then they heard rapid footsteps rushing towards them and looked up as a voice shrieked.

“Iki-- Et!”

Eret barely registered the figure barreling into them, just fast enough to open their arms and let him tackle them. It only took a moment to register what was happening, and Eret fell to their knees, hugging their brother for all it was worth. 

_He remembers_ , Eret thinks as Niki squeezed Tubbo tightly, their sobs echoing across the open field. Their mind is a blur, apologies and affirmations spilling from them without hearing the words. There was some commotion behind them, a shrill voice yelling in their direction and movement towards Dream and his friends. 

Eret didn’t care, burying their head in the pile and reveling in the fact that they were reunited, and they didn’t care about anything else. 

~

Late that night, after Tubbo had fallen asleep with Tommy on top of him and his siblings at either side, Dream opened the door a crack and heard the older two whispering to each other. 

Niki glanced over at the door as it opened, and Dream nodded to them. “Could we talk for a moment?”

Niki and Eret exchanged a glance, and after a moment they slowly got up from the bed and shuffled out into the hallway. Dream smiled, even though he knew they couldn’t see it behind the mask. 

“After I found Tubbo on my doorstep,” Dream started, clearing his throat, “I had to learn pretty quickly how to be a dad. I think I’ve done an alright job, considering the circumstances.” 

He took a breath. “I also promised myself that, if Tubbo’s older sibling ever came back, that I would do my best to be a parent for them as well.”

Eret and Niki were watching him carefully, and Dream smiled again. “I know you two aren’t exactly kids anymore, and I’m sure you’re capable of taking care of yourselves. But even so... I want to make sure you know that if you need anything, you can come here. We’re all a big, weird family here, and you’re welcome to join it.”

Niki was crying now, and Eret didn’t look that far behind. He opened his arms for them, and they accepted his offer easily. They stood in a hug for a long time, Niki tucked between the two taller men. 

“I have to thank you.” Dream told them after they separated. “Tubbo has been the light of my life since the day I met him. I know it must have been hard to leave him, but... I can’t imagine my life any other way.”

“Thank you for taking care of him.” Niki bowed her head slightly. “And... thank you for accepting us too.”

“You’re Tubbo’s family. So that means you’ve got the rest of us to rely on too.” 

Dream nodded to them before heading off to his room. Eret and Niki shared a wordless hug, because they both knew what the other was thinking. 

When they had set out to find Tubbo, they hadn’t expected to find such a huge amount of love and support in the house they left him at. 

They had not only found their brother, but they had found a family. 

They snuck back into Tubbo’s room before he woke up and found them gone, settling in on either side and threading their fingers together to hang across the two young boys. 

Tubbo snuggled into his pillow, humming happily as he dreamt of warmth and love, and for the moment, everything was alright.


End file.
